It is known to provide a cat litter box which acts as a container in which cat litter is sold, a commode for the cat, and a container for disposing the used cat litter in a sanitary manner. In order to carry out these three functions satisfactorily, such a cat litter box must be inexpensive to manufacture, impervious to moisture, and sufficiently durable so that the box will not be bent or torn when a cat climbs in or out of it. It is also preferable that such a cat litter box be collapsible to a closed position in which the box itself is of a convenient shape for stacking, carrying in the hands, or disposing in a trash can, while still being large enough when in an opened position to accommodate a typical-sized cat. Further, such a litter box should have side walls of a sufficient height so that a cat will be unable to spill cat litter from it. Also very important is the ability of the box to be easily collapsed securely and re-closed when it is full. The extent of even indirect contact with contaminated litter should generally be minimized. A person wanting to reclose the box when it is full of contaminated cat litter will be unwilling to put his hands very far inside the box in order to close it. It is thus desirable to prove a collapsible, disposable cat litter box which may be securely re-sealed as quickly and easily as possible.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,628,863 to Eichenauer discloses a disposable cat litter box in which a plurality of panels serve as both a wall around the litter box and, when folded down, a cover for the litter box. The end wall members in the upper portion of the litter box are creased with diagonal score lines. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 of the reference, the end wall members with the diagonal creases fold into generally triangular shapes at the top of the box when the box is in a closed position. In order to unfold the box into its open position, the triangles are first folded outward and then unfolded, as in FIG. 2 of the reference. All of the side panels further include a horizontal crease by which all of the panels are folded down to enhance the rigidity of the side walls. To unfold this horizontal crease so as to collapse the side panels down onto the litter, the human user must reach down into the litter box, placing his hands near the contaminated litter. To close the box, the user must reach in to push the triangular portions outward. Even this small exposure to the inside of the litter box is unsanitary.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a collapsible, disposable cat litter box which further minimizes the necessary contact with the area around the cat litter, which may be opened and closed relatively quickly, and which provides a degree of rigidity to prevent tearing and bending in use.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a collapsible, disposable cat litter box in which contaminated cat litter may be disposed in a sanitary manner without requiring twist ties, tape, or the like.